Alkaline storage battery.



' residing at Llewellyn Park, Orange,county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented UNITED s'rarss THOMAS A. EDISON, ,LLEWELLYN PARK, ORANGE, NEW ZERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO EDISON STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, CORPORATZON OF NEW\ JERSEY.

ALKALINE STORAGE Nb. 879,612." I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'l, Tnowis A. EDISON,

certain new and useful-Improvements in Alkaline Storage Batteries, of which the following is a description.

"is objectionable for practice.

In theoperation of storage batteries with alkaline electrolytes, I find that in many cases excessive foaming takes place, and this reasons. .In seeking for the cause of this foaming, I have discovered that it is probably due to the presence of organic matter, albuminous or gelatinous, since the introduction of almost microscopic quantities of'albumen, for. example, in the, solution, enormously increases "the foaming during the charging and discharging operations.

The problem of eliminati'ng or at least greatly reducing the foaming of the solution requiredpatient investigation.-

Ihavediscovered that this objection may-be overcome by subjecting the alkaline solution to a special treatment, capable of 25.

being carried on commercially and at a low cost. .This treatment consists in carefully filtering the alkaline solution, for example, caustic potash, through bone-black, which has been first purified by washing in a hot caustic potash solution and then washing with water. I find that when the alkaline solution is subjectedto this treatment foant ing is practically eliminated, or at least is reduce to such an extent as to be unobjectionable. I am f not able to positively account for this special result, since after the alkaline solutionjhas been, filtered, as de--.'

scribed, it may'stilljcontain relatively large alnount s'of albuminous or gelatinousmatter,

the: presence of which, ifthe solution were not filtered, would result in excessive foam- Zing. One hypothesis, which has occurred to me, to explain the a parent paradoxjhere presented, is that the roaming may be due to microsco ic scales present in most album. nous an gelatin ous matter, and WlllCh may be removed by-the'filtering operation, since,

as is well" known, purified, bone-black per- Speciflcation of Letters Application filed June 29 190% Saris forth.

followed by washing i sear-s, race.

mits oi cxoessiv Whether this is the result which takes piece or not, it is ai'elct that by subjecting the alkaline solution to the treatment described, the objectionable foaming on of the current through said solution iswpractically eliminated.

sly periect filtration.

true explanation-of the '50 Having now descrihediny invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1338 roll'ows:

1 in astorage battery, the combination "6'0 with suitable active materials, of a practically non-foan ig alkaline electrolyte obtained by ill on of an alkaline solution through a Q of very fine p0 rosity, forth.

2. In a the combination with suite ifilS, of a practically non ne electrolyte obtamed by ti on, or allrahne'solution through a iiitc carbon, substantially as set forth.

3. in a storage battery, the combination with suitable active materials, of a practically non-foaming alkaline electrolyte obtained by filtration of an alkaline solution through oone- .olaclr, substantially as set ,9" medium containing free 4. In a stora. "battery, the combination with suitable a cally non-foaming alkaline electrolyte .obtained by filtr of an alkaline solution through hon-whiter previously subjectedsto the purifying client of a hot caustic solution with Water, substantially as set iorth 5. In a storage battery, the combination with suitable active mater als, of an alkaline 'einaterials, of a practi-f 1 electrolyte substantially free from albuminous or gelatinous matter in:a condition to cause foaming", substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 24 day of June 1904. Y r k T108. A. EDISON. i Vitnesses FRANK. L. Drnn, -Mma S. lvl AcAnrinrnz. 

